"While we were wondering what we'd better do I suddenly spied President
Wade standing near the door of the big rotunda waiting-room and I had
hard work to keep from calling out. I said good-bye to Jimmy, and
walked over to him with the suitcase, blessing my stars for the good
fortune. His private car was standing down on the track and as soon as
he saw that I was in trouble of some kind he took me down to the car
and I told him the whole story. There was nobody around except
ourselves at the moment and he was not only greatly interested, but
agreed to help me. We lifted out the envelope of money and he placed
this in his safe aboard the car. He would not tell me what he intended
to do with it, except that he promised it should be photographed for me
and that it would be taken care of. He told me to ask no questions,
but just leave everything to him and forget all about it. The less I
knew about it the better, in case I was questioned.

"He had asked me a short time before if I thought I could obtain a
place as a stenographer or office clerk of some kind in Ferguson's
office for a few weeks and it had been agreed that I would try and, if
I succeeded, I was to sit tight and keep my eyes and ears open. I have
wondered how much of what happened he was half anticipating; he was so
matter-of-fact. He escorted me out to a taxi and I went home while he
sent a porter down to the parcel-room to check the empty suitcase. It
may be there yet for all I know.

"You see now why I was so worried to learn that an envelope had been
stolen from Mr. Wade's private car by Podmore and hidden up here at
Thorlakson. I naturally jumped to the conclusion that it was the
actual money that had been stolen. I should have known better, because
Mr. Wade had asked me to have Stiles secure for him an envelope from
the construction company's office, similar to the one containing the
money. To tell you the truth, I had forgotten all about this and it
did not occur to me that the envelope in the stump was a decoy. I see
now, though, that Mr. Wade had plans of his own all the time."

"You're right as to that, Miss Lawson. This game is bigger than we
think," said Kendrick thoughtfully. "One thing we may be sure of, Ben
Wade can be trusted to act wisely. What you've just told me has
interested me tremendously. Will you tell me something more? How
under the sun did Stiles manage to turn the trick--get possession of
that fifty thousand w